Portraits of Mrs. Fiske, actress-manager extraordinaire
by David for group historicalziegfeld Jul 26, 2010

Minne M. Fiske possessed one of those heroic spirits that brooked no compromise with degraded public taste and bridled in the face of male condescension. A specialist in classic repertoire and drawing room drama, she became a star in the 1880s. Impressive looking rather than handsome, she fascinated photographers for her capacity to project an absolutely distinctive personality in any pose, and manage gravitas in the most ridiculous costumes. She sat for every significant photographer of the late 19th century and early 20th century, but the finest portraits are the mysterious bust shots by actor-photographer Hamilton Revelle, a master lensmen as well as a matinee idol.